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- France picked
up two trophies in 1998: One, of course, was the country's only Soccer World Cup title,
won on home soil. It was also the birth year of Kylian Mbappe, the
19-year-old who's emerging as one of the biggest stars of the current World Cup
in Russia.

"Well, that was a good year
for him to be born, even if he didn't see much of the 1998 World Cup,"
joked French coach Didier Deschamps, who was the captain in '98.

"I'm very happy that Mbappe
is a French citizen."

It will be France's searing speed
led by Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann against Uruguay's defense anchored by Diego
Godin on Friday in Nizhny Novgorod in the World Cup quarter-finals. The winner
will face Brazil or Belgium.

Uruguay has only conceded one
goal in four World Cup matches, and France has scored seven - most in the 4-3
victory over Argentina in the Round of 16.

In scoring twice against Argentina,
Mbappe became the first teenager with multiple goals in a World Cup knockout
game since a 17-year-old Pele did it twice (including a hat trick against
France) in 1958.

It's a big stage with inevitable
comparisons that Mbappe smiled about and then batted away.

"It's flattering to be the
second one since Pele," said Mbappe, born in France to a father from
Cameroon and a mother from Algeria.

"But let's put things in
perspective. Pele's another category."

This is France's seventh quarter-final
and its fourth in the last six World Cups dating back to 1998 and the famous
side led by Deschamps, Patrick Vieira, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry - the
so-called "Rainbow Team" from a multicultural France.

"In a World Cup you have the
top-level players," said Mbappe, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain.

"So, it's an opportunity to
show what you can do and what your abilities are. There is no better place than
a World Cup."

After three lackluster games in
group play, France was electric in its most recent match, particularly in the
second-half when it cut up Argentina's plodding defense. Five of France's
starters in the first group match had never played in the World Cup, including
Mbappe.

"You need some
patience," Deschamps said.

Deschamps has compared playing
Uruguay to facing Peru, who narrowly lost to France 1-0 in the group stages by
a goal from Mbappe.

He termed Uruguay "solid and
aggressive" in a French television interview, adding: "These are not
qualities displayed by Argentina."

The match will showcase several
cross-border friendships.

Griezmann plays at Atletico
Madrid where his team-mates are Uruguayan defenders Godin and Jose Maria
Gimenez.

Godin is also the godfather of
Griezmann's daughter.

While Godin and Gimenez will try
to stop Griezmann, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez will be opposing Barcelona
team-mate Samuel Umtiti.

"I've always joked ... that
I wanted to face Umtiti at a World Cup," Suarez said. "And it came
true."

Suarez's running mate, Edinson
Cavani, scored both goals in the knockout win over Cristiano Ronaldo and
Portugal but is nursing a hamstring injury, and it remains unclear if he will
play.

His absence would be a blow to
the South Americans, but defence is the real key with coach Oscar Tabarez
expecting to see less of the ball.

"I think very often there's
the mistaken belief that ball possession leads to scoring opportunities,"
said Tabarez, who took over in 2006.